ANAHEIM -- Here is the expected lineup that the Ducks will start with against the Chicago Blackhawks for Game 7 of the Western Conference finals on Saturday night at Honda Center. After allowing four goals only twice in his first 12 playoff starts, Frederik Andersen (11-4, 2.18 GAA, .919 SV%) has been beaten four or more times in each of the last three games. With 13 goals allowed on 90 shots, Andersen's save percentage in Games 4-6 is .855. It will be his first Game 7. Coach Bruce Boudreau said there's a "good chance" that Tomas Fleischmann comes back in for Emerson Etem as he opts for more experience. Fleischmann was the leading scorer in the American Hockey League playoffs when he played on Boudreau's Hershey team that won the 2006 Calder Cup. "I just think an experienced guy and he's been through these wars," Boudreau said. "He's played in Game 7s, he's been in championship games. ... So he knows what to do in these situations." Ducks players are 7-28 in Game 7s but this will be the first one for Fleischmann, Ryan Kesler, Clayton Stoner and Nate Thompson.

CHICAGO -- Here is the expected lineup that the Ducks will start with against the Chicago Blackhawks for Game 6 of the Western Conference finals on Wednesday night at United Center. Frederik Andersen (11-3, 2.06 GAA, .925 SV%) will try to rebound from his worst game of the playoffs after allowing three questionable goals among the four he gave up in 28 shots faced. Chicago has managed to put the puck past Andersen nine times in the last two games. Emerson Etem will return to the lineup, with Tomas Fleischmann coming back out. Etem didn't play in Game 5 but scored his third goal of the playoffs in the Ducks' 5-4 double-overtime Game 4 defeat. Patrick Maroon's six goals tie him with Ryan Kesler for third on the Ducks. Jiri Sekac's playoff action has come in this series and the winger has five shots on goal and a plus-1 rating in the five games.

ANAHEIM -- Here is the potential lineup that the Ducks will start with against the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals on Monday night at Honda Center. Frederik Andersen (10-3, 1.92 GAA, .929 SV%) has played in every minute of the postseason. Andersen's five goals against in Game 4 are the most he's allowed in a playoff game. Coach Bruce Boudreau hinted at possible lineup changes Sunday and forward Tomas Fleischmann is an option, with Emerson Etem maybe coming out despite scoring a goal in their double-overtime Game 4 loss. Fleischmann has an assist in playoff games this spring. "What he brings is experience," Boudreau said. "He's been through these wars, he's played in these games. He's had success in these games. I think earlier on in the playoffs he was very, very good against Winnipeg. So he could bring an option if we choose to go that route." Boudreau also said James Wisniewski may be considered but added that "it is easier to put in a forward than a defenseman, but he is an option."

CHICAGO -- Here is the expected lineup that the Ducks will start with against the Chicago Blackhawks for Game 4 of the Western Conference finals on Saturday night at United Center. Frederik Andersen (10-2, 1.75 GAA, .935 SV%) stopped 27 shots in a 2-1 Game 3 win and has allowed two or fewer goals in all but two of his 12 starts. Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf are tied for the team lead with 16 points, which are two fewer than Tampa Bay's Tyler Johnson for the playoff lead. Coach Bruce Boudreau isn't making any lineup changes as he has stuck with the same forward group since Game 1 and the same defense corps for the entire postseason. The Ducks have gotten two goals and six assists from their six defenders.

NHL player salaries have been steadily rising for years, but is this now a golden age for coaches?

Toronto this week signed former Ducks coach Mike Babcock to an eight-year contract worth a reported $6.25 million per year. At the end of the regular season, Chicago’s Joel Quenneville had been the league’s highest-paid coach, with a reported annual salary of $2.75 million.

Quenneville’s contract runs through the 2016-17 season. In seven seasons with Chicago, he has won the Stanley Cup twice and made five trips to the Western Conferences finals. In 10 seasons with Detroit, Babcock won the Cup once, made one other trip to the Stanley Cup Finals and one other trip to the conference finals.

After Thursday’s morning skate, Quenneville was asked, half-jokingly, what his value should be now.

"We'll let you (reporters) talk about that," Quenneville said with a grin. "I just watched (Babcock’s) press conference prior to coming in here. Big cheer walking up to the microphone. Happy for him. We'll see how that all plays out. We'll see what happens."

ANAHEIM -- Here is the expected lineup that the Ducks will start with against the Chicago Blackhawks for Game 2 of the Western Conference finals on Tuesday night at Honda Center. Frederik Andersen (9-1, 1.86 GAA, .930 SV%) continued to win over new believers with one of his best games of the playoffs, a 33-save effort in Game 1. The Ducks only got one assist from their usual top offensive performers as Hampus Lindholm, Kyle Palmieri, Nate Thompson and Jakob Silfverberg had the goals in the 4-1 win. With four goals and nine assists, Silfverberg's 13 points tie him with Ryan Getzlaf for second on the Ducks and fourth in the NHL this postseason. Lindholm's eight points put him only behind Chicago's Duncan Keith among top defenseman scorers. Coach Bruce Boudreau is sticking with the same lineup.

ANAHEIM -- The farther you go into the Stanley Cup playoffs, the tougher it is to score goals.

Tell that to the Ducks.

The team that has a 9-1 record this postseason continued to light the lamp in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, with Jakob Silfverberg's empty-net goal finishing off a 4-1 win over Chicago.

The Ducks reached four goals for the sixth time in 10 playoff games and they've scored fewer than three goals only once -- Game 2 of the first round against Winnipeg. And center Ryan Kesler said they have a particular goal in mind for each contest.

"It’s a race to three," Kesler said. "You score three goals, you’re probably going to win. That’s our motto in here. We don’t stop. All game long, we didn’t stop. We knew going into the third that we needed to force and go at them still."

ANAHEIM -- Here is the expected lineup that the Ducks will start with against the Chicago Blackhawks for Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Sunday at Honda Center. Frederik Andersen (8-1, 1.96 GAA, .925 SV%) has played in every game and allowed two or fewer goals in seven of his nine starts. John Gibson is at full health and will back up, as he did in Games 4 and 5 of the semifinals against Calgary. Rickard Rakell was ill Saturday but took the warm-up and will stay in the rotation. Jiri Sekac will make his playoff debut for the Ducks while Emerson Etem also jumps back in after sitting the final two games against the Flames.

ANAHEIM -- Part of Bob Murray's reshaping of the Ducks last summer in getting centers Ryan Kesler and Nate Thompson was to improve his team's work in the faceoff circle.

The fruits of that focus point paid off in the regular season and, especially so, in the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Ducks have been claiming faceoffs at a 55.4 percent rate, which is second only to now-eliminated Washington. They held decisive advantages over Winnipeg and Calgary in their series wins over each.

Now in the Western Conference finals, the Ducks should get a tougher challenge with Chicago. The Blackhawks haven't been as decisive but they're still winning draws at a 51.4 percent rate.

"Well, statistically they’ve got better faceoff men," Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. "We’ll have to be a little more focused on every faceoff and every attempt. They’ve got a little more experience at the faceoff circle than Calgary had for sure, with [Sean] Monahan and such. Winnipeg had young guys in the middle as well.